Consultation on Labour school closure plan a 'sham'

10.38.50am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 10th Nov 2006

Liberal Democrat campaigners outside Myers Grove School

At a meeting in Sheffield Town Hall today Labours education boss (Cllr Harpham) described the council's proposal to close two local schools as 'the only option', just days before consultation begins. The news will anger local parents, many of whom have formed action groups against Labours plan.

Liberal Democrats believe the comment shows that the consultation, which is due to start on Monday, is a sham and that the decision to close both schools has already been taken by Labour behind closed doors.

Following questions from the Lib Dems council officers have revealed that local Labour councillors for Hillsborough (Cllr McDonald, Cllr Meade and Cllr Bragg) have known about plans for at least three months and the Walkley Labour councillor (Cllr Hardstaff) has known about the plans since at least March this year. However, these Labour politicians chose to say nothing to local people. Instead parents first found out about the plans through the local press.

Labour have ruled out the option of keeping both schools and reducing capacity in each. Labour say that the DfES will refuse to provide funding as the schools are too small.

However, Lib Dems can reveal that the council have never formally asked the Government regarding the funding issues to keep both schools open. Also the council plan to keep other secondary schools open that have fewer pupil places than Wisewood and Myers Grove.

Cllr Paul Scriven, Leader of the Sheffield Liberal Democrats, said: -

"It is abundantly clear that Labour have taken the decision to try and close both schools in secret months ago. The comment from Cllr Harpham shows that the consultation on the proposed closures is nothing more than a Labour sham"

"Labour have ruled out keeping both schools open because they believe that the schools would be too small to be viable. This is despite the fact that the council supports smaller schools in other parts of the city. The fact that Labour officials haven't even officially asked the DfES about keeping both schools open shows that they have already decided what local parents and children will get"

"Local parents will also be angered to learn their local Labour councillors, who are supposed to be representing their best interests, have kept quiet despite knowing about the closure plans months ago. Its clear that they have been let down by Labour politicians putting party interests before the people they represent"